Dawn Of The Third Day
by Fire of the Angel
Summary: On their way to Mordor, the group encounters a small band of Orcs. Legolas is injured and it is believed that he will die. Aragorn refuses to leave him, and goes against better interest to stay at his friend's side. Slight LegAra SLASH!


Summary: On their way to Mordor, the group encounters a small band of Orcs. Legolas is injured and it is believed that he will die. Aragorn refuses to leave him, and goes against better interest to stay at his friend's side. Slight Leg/Ara SLASH!  
  
I have recently bought 'The Two Towers', and have become obsessed with Leg/Ara stories. This idea popped into my head after watching the movie. This is my first LOTR story, so be nice with the reviews! Hope you enjoy! Before I go, this story takes place right after 'The Two Towers'. The group is on their way to Mordor where they hope to meet up with Frodo and Sam.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of The Rings, nor do I claim to.  
  
This story contains SLASH! Don't like? Don't read!  
  
"Blah" - Speech  
  
'Blah' - Thoughts  
  
-Blah- - Emphasized words  
  
*~*~~*~* - Scene change  
  
****Blah**** - Flashback or dream  
  
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Dawn Of The Third Day  
  
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Legolas smirked when Gimli let out a groan of protest as they started to run on the horses. The dwarf kept muttering something about stupid arrows and stupid elves, and Legolas couldn't help but smile. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was starting to set, casting reds and oranges across the sky. Their small group of people was busy looking for a place to rest for the night, and decided to hurry, not wanting to look in the night.  
  
As the horses' pace quickened, Gimli grabbed onto Legolas' waist momentarily to regain his balance. The elf winced slightly, and nearly groaned when the man behind him slowly pulled his hand away and stared at his fingers. Legolas had and idea of what would come next...  
  
"Laddy, your bleedin' from your left side!"  
  
Legolas glanced behind him. Gimli's left hand was covered in blood, and he was staring at Legolas intently. "I'll be fine. One should sustain a few wounds from a battle the likes of what we just fought." Legolas waved his free hand to dismiss the conversation. "It's not serious. It should heal before morning comes."  
  
"Legolas!" The cry caused Legolas to whip around to the voice's owner. Gandalf was smiling at him from atop Shadowfax, and was pointing down to a small forest that lay about a mile away.  
  
The elf's features broke out into a small smile and he pushed his horse faster, wishing to be beneath the treetops.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
Legolas stood and stared at his pale reflection that was staring back at him from underneath the creek's surface. His blue eyes sparkled from their spot next to his pale hair, and his skin was as white as the clouds that dotted the sky during the day.  
  
The crickets were singing their soft tunes to the trees, and an owl would occasionally hoot into the night air. Legolas could hear things from a while away, the soft breathing of his companions yards away, the footsteps of the small animals that ran around the forest, the chants of a savage war cry...Legolas yelled to his friends, and darted between the trees, looking for the source of the war cries. Soon he spotted a group of Orcs, around 30 or so, coming towards their forest. He readied his bow, and shot two of them. The rest looked around wildly, sniffing the air for signs of their attackers, and their eyes soon rested on the elf, who was now bathed in the moonlight.  
  
They all let out a loud and low cry, and leapt across the field towards Legolas. At the same time, Legolas felt Aragorn and Gimli join his side. The two charged forwards, sword and axe held high, and met the Orcs before they could get closer. Many of them simply ran around the two, and raced for Legolas. Legolas shot three in a row, but they were quickly gaining ground on his area. In the time that it took him to drop his bow and pull out his swords, five of the Orcs were close enough to strike. Theodin had joined him, and was fighting off a few of them with his sword.  
  
Legolas and Theodin were killing the ones that had charged for them, but they were to busy fighting to notice the group of three Orcs that approached them from behind. Theodin turned when he felt a presence behind him, and managed to strike one down. The other two were fighting Legolas, who had dropped one of his swords. Legolas struck out, slicing the neck of one, and turned to face the remaining Orc next to him. A cry sounded from behind him, but before he could react, the Orc that he had sliced the neck of, had managed to trip him. Legolas rolled over, and stared as the Orc collapsed and the last Orc stood above him, growling. The Orc took his blade and struck down, and Legolas rolled to the side. Instead of hitting his heart, the blade was driven into his upper right shoulder. He cried out, and struck up with his own blade. He drove it straight through the Orc's chest, and grunted as it fell against him.  
  
Theodin reached him first, and pushed the dead Orc off of him. Blood pooled around his shoulder, staining his blonde hair, and a trickle of blood seeped down his left side. His wound from earlier had reopened. Theodin struggled to lift Legolas into his arms, and grunted as Aragorn pushed him out of the way. Legolas' vision swam and he groaned out a thank you to Aragorn before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he blacked out. Aragorn lifted him into his arms and carried the bleeding elf back to their camp.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
Gandalf frowned as he moved away from Legolas. He had tried almost everything he could think of to help the elf, but it only helped a little. The bleeding had lessened and his breathing was less labored. He looked to Aragorn and Gimli, who were seated close by and shook his head.  
  
"He may not make it. It's quite possible that he will die in the night. If not tonight, his elf blood may heal it, but infections may set in. The blade of the Orc's sword that stabbed him contained a type of poison that keeps wounds from healing properly, and even though Legolas is an elf, he might not be able to fight this off." He placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You may want to say your good-byes."  
  
Aragorn's eyes flashed and he shook Gandalf's hand off. "I am not saying good-bye. He hoped for my life when I was believed to be dead, and I will hope for his."  
  
Gandalf sighed and leaned heavily onto his staff. "We cannot travel while he is in this condition. I know not of someone who can stay."  
  
Aragorn whipped his head around and gaped at Gandalf. "You are not suggesting that we leave him here to die?"  
  
Gandalf shook his head. "No, but we must find someplace that will take him in, so he may heal. We need to travel to Mordor."  
  
Aragorn turned his head to look at the sleeping Legolas. "I will stay with him. The rest of you travel to Mordor. We will follow when he is fit enough to ride a horse."  
  
Gandalf looked to Legolas as well. "You'd do well if you didn't get your hopes up. He may die, Aragorn."  
  
Gimli took that moment to put his word in. "Legolas is a strong lad. He'll pull through, whether you believe he will or not." He didn't sound as convincing as his words were meant to be.  
  
Gandalf left the small clearing where Legolas had been laid, and Gimli followed him. Aragorn watched Legolas' slightly labored breathing and sighed. "I only wish that his words are the truth, my friend."  
  
Aragorn walked back over to Legolas and quietly sat down next to him. He sighed and leaned against the tree behind him, and observed his friend throughout the night, never allowing himself to sleep.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
Gandalf sighed as he sat back down in their small camp. Theodin looked at him and frowned. "Will the elf be all right?"  
  
Gandalf stared into the flames of the fire, watching the dancing colors. "I'm not sure. It's possible that he'll die before his blood kicks in and heals him, but that may not work even if it does. The blade was poisoned, and because of the extent of his wound, it's gotten into his bloodstream. I've told Aragorn and Gimli to say their good-bye's, but they refuse. They believe that Legolas will survive."  
  
Theodin stared at Gimli, who had laid down underneath a tree, and smiled sadly. "They're close friends. Would you want to say good-bye, when there was a chance of him surviving, even if it was small?"  
  
The wizard closed his eyes. "I don't know. We'll be leaving in the morning, so rest, Theodin."  
  
Theodin's gaze traveled back to Gandalf. "We can't ride with Legolas in that condition."  
  
"I've told Aragorn this. He'll be staying with Legolas until either the worst happens, or he recovers enough to ride with Aragorn."  
  
Theodin followed Gimli's example and laid down onto his bedroll, and fell quickly into the land of dreams.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
The morning greeted Legolas with a terrible pain in his shoulder, and a high fever. He groaned as he tried his best to rise, but fell back down with a soft cry. In a moment, Legolas could feel arms gently lifting him, and carrying him. He was set down a few minutes later, and he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he could make out the vague features of Aragorn's face. Aragorn smiled when Legolas looked at him, and gently began to remove Legolas' shirt.  
  
"What," Legolas managed to get out of his fever hazed mind. "Are you doing?"  
  
Aragorn smirked. "You wound needs to be cleansed. Gandalf said to clean it when you woke."  
  
"Where..." Legolas was cut off.  
  
"We're at the creek in the forest," Aragorn interrupted.  
  
Legolas faintly shook his head. "No, where are they?"  
  
Aragorn looked around. "Oh, you mean the others. They set out this morning. It's just you and I for a while."  
  
Legolas relaxed against Aragorn, who was taking a small piece of cloth and cleansing his shoulder. "Oh..."  
  
The cold water from the creek felt wonderful against his fevered skin, and he soon found himself falling back to sleep. Aragorn winced when he felt Legolas lay his head against his shoulder; his skin was burning his just by leaning against him. Aragorn finished with his shoulder and moved down to the elf's pale side. The red blood that was occasionally dripping from the gash, was a startling contrast to Legolas' marble skin. That wound was slowly healing, but the one on his shoulder was still bleeding as freely as it was the night before. Gandalf was right; the poison was keeping Legolas from healing himself, and was the cause of the high fever. The elf's body was working itself over just to try and get rid of the poisons and at the same time, heal both wounds on his body.  
  
Aragorn finished cleaning Legolas' injuries and gently wrapped them in some of the cloth that Gandalf had left for him. Legolas' face was flushed, and his breathing was becoming more labored as the time wore on. Aragorn took his cloak off and rolled it into a makeshift pillow that he placed under Legolas' head. He took Legolas' own cloak and placed it over him before returning to their small camp and rummaging through the bag of herbs that Gandalf had left for him and instructed him on how to use them. Finding the correct one, he ground it up and placed it into a cup before going back to the creek. He filled the cup with water, and set himself down next to Legolas before lifting the elf's head and coaxing him out of his sleep.  
  
Legolas ended up almost spitting the herbs out, but Aragorn placed a hand onto his mouth and refused to remove it until Legolas swallowed. Legolas glared at him sleepily before swallowing with a wince. He coughed for a while afterwards and Aragorn helped him get a few glasses of water down. The two fell asleep in the same manner as the night before, but this time, Aragorn allowed himself to lightly sleep.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
Aragorn awoke to the sounds of Legolas' heavy breathing and groans. His face was covered in cold sweat, and his long blonde hair was plastered to his face, and his chest was heaving. Aragorn scrambled over to Legolas and placed a hand onto the fiend's forehead. He pulled away an instant later; Legolas' skin was so hot that it hurt to touch it. Even though his skin was burning, Legolas was shaking violently in his sleep.  
  
Aragorn moved Legolas so that the elf was seated against his chest, and he began to gently shake him while whispering into his ear. Legolas woke a few moment's later, mumbling something in his daze. Aragorn shifted closer and could barely catch the words coming from his friend's mouth.  
  
"Haldir, Aragorn, Gimli. Don't leave, please don't go." These words were whispered under Legolas' breath, and Aragorn frowned.  
  
Aragorn began to lightly rub Legolas' arms in an attempt to wake him further, but Legolas only began to fall deeper into sleep. Before he fell into his deep sleep though, Legolas reached up and took one of Aragorn's hands into his own and squeezed it. "I'll be fine," was whispered before the hand went limp. Not having the heart to move his friend, Aragorn laid down against Legolas and followed the elf into the darkness of sleep.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
Aragorn woke later the same day to Legolas pushing himself up and away from Aragorn. A few moments later, Aragorn figured out why; Legolas was coughing and vomiting into the creek.  
  
He grimaced and looked away, and waited 'til Legolas stopped coughing before turning back. Legolas was holding his shoulder with his left hand, and his right arm was supporting him as he leaned against the bank of the small river. Blood seeped through his clenched hand, and Legolas was staring at his reflection in the river. Aragorn got up and stood behind him, and watched Legolas' reflection as well.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Aragorn didn't take his eyes from the moving image of his elf friend's face.  
  
Legolas shook his head slightly. "I was just wondering why I am here, and why you chose to stay here with me." Legolas' eyes shifted to Aragorn's in the waters. "I could be dying, and yet you stay here with me when you are needed elsewhere."  
  
Aragorn placed a hand on Legolas' good shoulder. "I am needed here. You are my friend, and you hoped for my well being when I was believed to be dead. Gimli has told me of the nights where you refused to sleep, watching the horizon for any sign that I would be returning."  
  
Legolas' eyes shifted back to his reflection. "I waited because I knew you couldn't die that way. When you die, it will be in a battle, or because of your old age. Falling of off a cliff is not honorable enough for you, and you know that."  
  
Aragorn laughed, a wonderful sound to Legolas' pounding head. "You are a unique elf, my dear Legolas."  
  
Legolas smirked. "And you are a unique human, dear Aragorn."  
  
Aragorn smiled, but the smile soon faltered. "I'm sorry about Haldir. I heard what you were saying in your sleep earlier."  
  
Legolas' eyes downcast. "He and I were friends for at least fifteen hundred years. I never believed that I would be losing him in that battle."  
  
Aragorn squeezed Legolas' shoulder. "He told me to watch out for you. Said that you were a foolhardy person at times."  
  
Legolas laughed a little. "Sounds like Haldir. Always caring about someone before himself. Even as he died, he was looking out for me." Legolas raised a hand to his head and groaned. He swayed a little, and Aragorn bent down to steady him.  
  
"You need to rest more. Gandalf said that this poison will take an immense toll on your healing abilities."  
  
Legolas allowed Aragorn to help him to his feet and back to his bedroll. Aragorn observed Legolas late into the night and barely slept at all.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
The third day that they were in their camp, Aragorn remembered the words that Gandalf had said to him before they left. 'If by the dawn on the third day, he is not well, perform the blood rite. Legolas must give you permission to do this, before though. You know the circumstances of this, and I am sure that you will be willing to agree, as will he.'  
  
The blood rite that Gandalf had spoke of would give Legolas the strength to heal. One would perform this blood rite by cutting a deep cut in the middle of their hand and doing the same to their partner's hand. They would place their hands together, allowing the blood to mix. Legolas would receive human blood, blood with more antibodies that would kill the virus off; and Aragorn would receive Elven blood, allowing him to live a much, much longer life than normal humans.  
  
By the looks of things, Aragorn would have to perform it. Legolas' fever hadn't changed, and Aragorn could barely keep him awake long enough for him to drink something. Aragorn sighed as the sun peaked over the horizon, and gasped when Legolas let out a cry from their campsite. He raced back to the clearing around the creek and stopped when he saw Legolas. His blonde hair had escaped it's braiding, and it was plastered to his face. He was kneeling, and holding his chest as he gasped for air. Aragorn quickly walked over to Legolas and helped him to sit. Legolas was holding his chest and wincing every time he inhaled sharply for air.  
  
Alarms started ringing in Aragorn's head and he asked, "What's going on, Legolas?"  
  
Legolas replied in his native language, "My chest, I cannot breathe."  
  
Aragorn shifted him so he was lying down and retrieved one of Legolas' arrows. He looked at Legolas. "Legolas, look at me." Blue eyes opened, and Aragorn could see the pain that accompanied the gaze. "Gandalf said to perform the blood rite if you did not improve. I need to have your permission before I can do anything."  
  
Legolas nodded. "You...may. Hurry...I do...not see...myself lasting...much longer...my friend." His words were spoken between gasps, and at the end, he clenched his eyes tightly.  
  
As Aragorn sliced deeply into his hand with the arrow, Legolas' breathing slowed, and his body was starting to go limp. "Damnit," Aragorn growled out in anger as he sliced Legolas' own hand. Before he placed their hands together, Aragorn lifted Legolas' chin with his free hand. "Look at me Legolas. You need to stay with me. Open your eyes."  
  
Legolas opened his eyes halfway, but closed them quickly after. He softly shook his head.  
  
Aragorn merely acted on impulse, and a moment later, he was kissing Legolas softly. He pressed their hands together, and allowed the cuts to align. "Legolas, focus on me. Respond...do anything, just stay awake." He murmured against Legolas' lips.  
  
A few seconds later, Legolas lazily moved his lips against Aragorn's. His mind was hazy, and the only thing was able to feel was Aragorn's hand on his, and his lips against Aragorn's.  
  
Twenty minutes later Aragorn was beginning to get dizzy from blood loss, but he could feel something new pounding within his veins. Legolas pulled away from his kiss and turned his head to the side, fast asleep. His breathing was evening out slowly, and he was losing the flush on his face. He wrapped Legolas' and his own hand in pieces of cloth before lying down next to his Elven friend and falling asleep, his arms around Legolas' shoulders.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
They woke together, late into the night. Legolas felt like he was an entirely different person from that morning and he could feel Aragorn pressed against his back. "Are you completely sure you wanted to do that?" Legolas' voice was soft.  
  
Aragorn pressed closer. "I'm positive. And don't you go saying that you didn't need it to be done. I almost lost you, and I am not planning on loosing you anytime soon. Dying from poison isn't an honorable enough death for you."  
  
Legolas laughed. "Will I be stuck with you forever now?"  
  
Aragorn sat up and stretched. "Maybe not forever, but it'll be a lone time before you will be getting rid of me."  
  
Legolas followed his example and stretched, but winced when he moved his shoulder. "Do you think we should be following the others now?"  
  
Aragorn looked at the sky. The stars were shining brightly, and the moon was full overhead. "I think we could go now, but you will be resting. I will not allow you to run a horse in that condition."  
  
Legolas smiled and helped Aragorn gather their things. Placing them in their proper bags, they loaded them onto Aragorn's horse. Before jumping onto the horse, Aragorn turned to Legolas and gently kissed him, and then kissed his forehead. "You still have a fever."  
  
Legolas closed his eyes and leaned against Aragorn for a moment. "I know. I wish to thank you for doing that. Not too many people would have been willing to perform that rite."  
  
Aragorn kissed Legolas once again. "But I was one of the few who would." He helped Legolas onto the horse before getting on himself and setting off in the direction that Gandalf had gone in, three days prior.  
  
*~*~~*~*  
  
On the dawn of the third day of travel, Aragorn stood atop a hill that was just behind their friend's position. Legolas was leaning against his shoulder, fast asleep. Gimli was the first to see them, and when it appeared to be just Aragorn, tears began to form in his eyes. The others watched as Gimli stared at his friend, disbelief and grief written on his face. But, as the sun rose higher above them, the pink and red hues fell against the now awake Legolas' hair. Legolas lifted himself off of Aragorn's shoulder, and smiled as he heard Gimli's shout of joy. The two galloped down the slope to meet the new day, beside their friends.  
  
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End story. Hope you enjoyed!  
  
Please review and don't flame. 


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